Tag: Manchester City

Samuel Bolton Ashworth was an amateur left-half of the early 1900s. Born 11 March 1877 in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, the son of a Mr. Thomas Ashworth who served as manager of Glebe Colliery, and Betsy Bolton; he was one of 10 children and played youth football with a succession of local sides in the Staffordshire leagues, before joining Football League founder members Stoke City for the 1901/02 season. In two seasons at Stoke, Sam Ashworth made 39 league and cup appearances, filling each of the half-back roles, but never scoring a goal – he never troubled the scorers once in his entire league and cup career.
After losing his position in the Stoke City side during his second season, Everton made enquiries about signing the neat, diminutive Ashworth to bolster their own options at half-back. For whatever reason and, despite Ashworth himself publicly stating his preference for a move to Goodison Park, Manchester City stepped in and he appeared for them...